Overview

Once upon a time, there was a greasy little donut shop on the South Side of Bethlehem. Sadly, its owners had abandoned it for bigger and better things. But, to Dave Fry and Cindy Dinsmore, it glowed with the radiance of the dream they shared - or was that leftover donut glazing? On March 17, 1976 (after hours of cleaning, painting, and scraping “donut goop” off the floors and walls), Dave and Cindy opened the doors of their new coffee house, called “Godfrey Daniels” after the euphemistic expletive favored by W. C. Fields. The performers that night, who included Dave Fry, the Shimersville Sheiks, Mary Faith Rhoads, and other local musicians, played to a small, but enthusiastic, audience. Friends pitched in to help run the shows and send out flyers, and even though most of the money taken in at the door went to the performers, Godfrey’s somehow managed to stay afloat.

Over the years, Godfrey’s has grown from a little-known haven for lovers of live folk music* to an internationally acclaimed club on the “folk circuit.” In 1978 Godfrey Daniels became a nonprofit corporation, and today, as in the early days, most of the money you spend on admission still goes to the performers. The big financial difference now is a result of Godfrey’s very successful membership program, begun in 1984, which has made possible numerous “luxuries” like air conditioning and a computer.

The complete line-up of shows can be found here.

Visit their website for further details on safety practices.